Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and China have issued a joint statement affirming thedetermination to work closely to bolster their comprehensive strategiccooperative partnership for practical interests of the two peoples and forpeace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Thedocument was issued on the occasion of the State visit to Vietnam made byGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee andState President Xi Jinping and his attendance at the 25th APECEconomic Leaders’ Meeting from November 10-13.

Duringthe visit, Xi held talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party ofVietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and President Tran Dai Quang,and met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly ChairwomanNguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Thetwo sides informed each other of the respective situation of their Party andState, exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional and internationalissues of shared concern, and reached common perceptions on deepening theVietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the newcircumstances.

𒁏[Party chiefs Nguyen Phu Trong, Xi Jinping hold talks]

Theypledged to work together, thoroughly grasp major orientations guiding thedevelopment of the bilateral ties, intensify strategic exchanges and politicaltrust, deepen win-win cooperation, and deal with disagreements satisfactorily,step up the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to grow healthilyand stably, so to generate concrete benefits for their people and activelycontribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Theyagreed that Vietnam and China are important neighbours and cooperative partners.As both are in a key phase of development reforms, the development of this country is the opportunity of the other.

Therefore, the two countries need to promote thecoordinating role of cooperative mechanisms, like the meeting ofrepresentatives of the two Political Bureaus and the Steering Committee onBilateral Cooperation, giving priority to intensifying the sharing ofexperience in State management, strengthening exchanges via the Party channel, andcooperation betweenthe Vietnamese National Assembly and the National People’s Congress of China, andbetween the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the National Committee of the ChinesePeople's Political Consultative Conference.

Vietnamand China committed to well implementing an agreement on stepping upcollaboration in the new situation between the two Foreign Ministries, maintainingmeetings between the ministries’ leaders, as well as annual diplomaticconsultation.

Theyalso reached a consensus on strengthening cooperation in defence, security andlaw enforcement, well implementing the declaration on joint vision on defencecooperation by 2025, using the hotline between the two Defence Ministrieseffectively, organising border defence exchanges and strategic defencedialogues as well as joint patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin, and exerting effortsto make the China-Vietnam extradition treaty become effective soon.

Bothsides vowed to apply efficient measures to boost cooperation for practicalprogress to be made in economy, trade, production capacity, investment,infrastructure, and monetary-finance.

Vietnamwelcomes and supports the implementation of the “One Belt, One Road” initiativeto boost win-win cooperation and economic linkages between countries as well asregional connectivity in order to contribute to peace, stability, development,and prosperity in the region and the world.

Thetwo sides were unanimous in sharing information about investment policies,working to improve the investment climate, and boosting investment suitable toeach other’s demand and sustainable development strategy. China encourages itsleading enterprises to invest in Vietnam.

Theycommitted to well implementing the five-year development plan on economic andtrade cooperation during 2017-2021 together with signing and deploying keycooperative projects.

They agreed to promote the role of the Vietnam-China Committee on Economic andTrade Cooperation and related cooperative mechanisms. China is willing toexpand imports from Vietnam, giving priority to carrying out the assessment ofmarket entry requirements for milk and milk products from Vietnam, speed up thecompletion of legal procedures and the opening of market for several kinds of Vietnamesefruits, and intensify cooperation in agriculture, fisheries and forestry,including rice and cassava.

Theyalso vowed to utilise the mechanism of the working group on financial-monetarycooperation, continue considering the use of local currency in bilateral tradeand investment, intensify the exchange of experience in monetary policy andfinancial stability, and continue supporting each other’s financial institutionsto undertake their related performances in line with law. The Chinese side willcreate favourable conditions for the Vietnamese side to gain access to itspreferential loans and other loans in compliance with related regulations.

Vietnamand China agreed to promote cooperation in agriculture, water resources, theenvironment, science and technology, and transport.

The two sides willbroaden partnership in culture, journalism, healthcare, and people-to-peopleexchange.

They agreed topromote a sincere and frank exchange of views on issues at sea and continueobserving important common understanding reached by leaders of the two Partiesand States and “the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding thesettlement of sea-related issues”.

The two countrieswill efficiently employ the government-level negotiation mechanism for territorialand border issues between the two countries and seek a fundamental andlong-term solution acceptable to both sides.

They agreed to wellimplement follow-up work after their joint survey of the waters off the mouthof the Gulf of Tonkin while accelerating negotiations on the delineation of thewaters off the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and fostering cooperation for mutualdevelopment in the waters. They will also continue to promote the efforts ofthe working group on cooperation for development at sea and step up jointprojects in less-sensitive fields as previously agreed.

The two sides highlyappreciated activities involving the release of aquatic creatures and the protectionof marine resources in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The two sidesconsented to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct ofParties in the East Sea (DOC) and work towards the early formation of a Code ofConduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) on the basis of consensusconsultation, effectively managing maritime disputes and avoiding actions thatwould further complicate or expand the disputes for the maintenance of peaceand stability in the East Sea.

Vietnam affirmed toconsistently pursue the one-China policy and support the peaceful developmentof Cross-Strait relations and China’s great cause of unification.

Both sides agreed toboost cooperation at regional and multilateral frameworks such as the UnitedNations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Europe Meeting(ASEM), the ASEAN-China, and the Mekong – Lancang Cooperation, thus togethermaintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the regional and the world.

The two sides agreedthat the visit of General Secretary ofthe Communist Party of China Central Committee and State President Xi Jinpingto Vietnam was a success, marking an important milestone in bilateral ties andcontributing importantly to enhancing the traditional friendship and deepeningthe comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and Chinawhile promoting peace, stability and development in the region and theglobe.-VNA